The Mail Boy

Chapter 14

Suddenly, I felt warmth fall onto my shoulders and I looked over at Sean. He had just placed his black leather jacket over my shoulders. He smiled at me and turned to face the city lights below, his blue-green eyes sparkling.

"Aren't you cold?" I asked him.

He simply shrugged.

"Not as much as you," he replied, not looking at me.

We sat in silence for a few long moments. It wasn't awkard or uncomfortable. It was calm and peaceful, like we were both lost in our own little worlds, thinking our own little thoughts, caught up in our own lives.

I thought back to earlier today: Lucas, Maya telling me he wanted me to go to homecoming with him, and then the preview show on Saturday.

Shit! The preview show!

I let out a groan and closed my eyes.

"Everything all right?" he asked.

"Far from," I grumbled, massaging my forehead with my knuckles. My headache was coming back.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked.

"You honestly don't want to hear the annoying life story of Victoria Grey," I remarked.

"Try me," he replied. I looked at him and then sighed.

"Remember when I told Jaque how my my aunt hates me?" I began. He nodded. "Well, she really hates me. And I put up with her until a few summers ago, when I brought my first boyfriend to her house for a few weeks when we were visiting her. Long story short, she was the reason we broke up," I explained.

"That sucks," he commented. I shrugged.

"It did at the time, because right after he broke up with me, he shot up on the popularity ladder and you know how important that is in high school," I replied. He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Anyway, he wants me back now. He keeps trying to ask me out," I said. He looked at me, a curious expression on his face.

"Well, do you want to get back together with him?" he asked me. I sighed.

"I don't," I told him.

"Then tell him that," he said.

"I did," I mumbled.

"And he still won't leave you alone?" he asked me.

"He can be pretty persistent," I said.

"Hmmm..." he said, looking back out at the city.

We fell into a long silence. I was vaguely aware of Sean's arm, which was pressed lightly against mine. The moment I took note of this, I felt my cheeks flush with color.

"What else is wrong?" Sean asked, breaking the silence.

"What do you mean?" I asked back.

"You can't only be upset about an ex-boyfriend," he said.

"That's true," I muttered. "I guess it's just my aunt. She's been really annoying, moreso than usual. And my parents seem to have forgotten all about me and my little brother," I told him.

"Your parents?" he asked. I nodded.

"My mother is an author. She writes books about pregnancy," I explained.

"A valid topic..." he mumbled. I laughed and he smirked.

"And my dad works at NYU. He's a professor and an archaeologist. He's gone for a dig in Egypt," I said.